Author Archives: Erika Holter

As the days get colder and the germs get more abundant, it’s a good time to whip up a batch of bone broth.

Bone broth has received a lot of attention in recent years for its elixir-like properties. Here are just a few of the touted benefits of bone broth consumption:

• Builds up your immune system – hence why chicken soup has long been recognized as key to fighting a cold
• Good for your bones – glucosamine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium….all present in bone broth and all critical for building bones and healthy joints
• Supports digestion – glutamine is an important amino acid that helps strengthen the digestive lining, improving absorption of nutrients and reducing food sensitivities
• A younger you – the collagen in bone broth is credited with improving the state of one’s nails, hair and skin

And it’s delish to boot!

Thanks to Stevie from Holistically Radiant for sharing her easy and nutrient-packed bone broth recipe.

Directions
Place all ingredients in a large pot. Ensure that vegetables are kept whole as many of the nutrients are found in the skin. Cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 2 hours. Take the chicken out and pull off the meat for nice pulled chicken. Return the skin and bones back to the pot, continue simmering for another 16-22 hours. Add water if needed throughout this time. Strain and enjoy. Use this broth to drink as is, bases for delicious soups, or cooking liquid for your whole grains like quinoa.

We are big fans of the McHugh Bluff stairs! But….they can get busy at times. So, for the stair workout-loving reader, we’ve compiled a list of alternate locations in Calgary that you can hit up to get your glute burn on. Happy climbing!

YYCfit exhibitor, Evolve Retreat Co., is Canada’s premier all-inclusive health and wellness retreat for personalized fitness, clean eating, nutrition, and adventure in the Canadian Rockies. The Evolve Retreat team of fitness, nutrition, and culinary experts works closely with you to tailor meals, fitness challenges, mentoring sessions and outdoor adventures, thus creating a highly customized and unique experience. Not only will you return home from your wellness retreat with amazing memories, but also with the knowledge and tools to maintain a healthier lifestyle going forward.

The next Evolve Retreat wellness retreat is taking place September 11 – 15 at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, and includes the following:

Sign up for the Evolve Retreat Co.’s newsletter and like us on Facebook for a chance to WIN a day with the Evolve Retreat Co. wellness experts. This pass is a great opportunity to gain the knowledge and tools you’ll need to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Enter here.

Sticking around Calgary for the long weekend? With sunny skies in the forecast and a plethora of Canada Day activities in store, this is a great weekend to stay put. Still looking for ideas for this weekend? We’ve rounded up a few for ya!

• Hit up Riverfront Avenue. The party starts at 10:00 am and wraps up with fireworks at 11:45 pm. Calgary sweethearts Tegan and Sara are just one of the acts on deck for the celebrations

• Go check out a big red ball. No, seriously. It’s 115 kilograms, it measures 4.5 meters in diameter, and it will be celebrating Canada Day in our fair city. This temporary art installation, dubbed the RedBall Project, has appeared in 30 cities worldwide since 2001. The big red ball will be gracing a different Calgary landmark each day leading up to Canada Day, when it will be having a ball (ha!) at Olympic Plaza

• Be part of a living flag at Fort Calgary between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm, and afterwards stick around for all sorts of kid-friendly activities including a petting zoo, craft tent and photo booth

• Celebrate Canada Day the old-fashioned way and hit Heritage Park. The first 2017 guests get a free pancake breakfast, and then the fun continues with live music, mini chuckwagon races, boat rides and more!

• In 2017 Canada turns 150….and Confederation Park turns 50! At 11:00 am, their 1967 time capsule will be opened (Beatles poster anyone?). Other fun stuff includes a pancake breakfast (of course), horse-drawn carriage rides, live entertainment and more family friendly activities

Interested in winning a YYCfit VIP Package valued at over $1,000? All you have to do is stop by one of the upcoming YYCfit pop-up events and enter our draw. We’ll be drawing for the winner on May 9th.

Here is a list of current scheduled pop-up events (note dates, are subject to change, please follow our social media accounts to ensure access to the most up-to-date information on pop-up events):
• Wednesday, April 19th – we’ll be at the Running Room, Glenmore Landing, at 6:00 pm, discussing YYCfit with their Run Club and taking entries for the draw
• Saturday, April 22nd – we’ll be at the Onesie Run handing out water and taking entries for the draw
• Saturday, April 29th – we’ll be at Lake Louise for their ‘Shake the Lake’ event, handing out hot chocolate and taking entries for the draw, between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
• Tuesday, May 2nd – we’ll be at the Stephen Ave Farmers Market, from 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

More pop-up locations will be announced soon.

What is included in the the YYCfit VIP Package?
• Two skip-the-line weekend passes to YYCfit
• One nights’ accommodation at the Fairfield Inn & Suites
• $250 to spend at YYCfit
• Four drink tickets for the Saturday night beer gardens
• $50 gift certificate for Charbar
• A paintballing package for 10 courtesy of International Paintball Group
• Summer FitBox subscription courtesy of FitBox
• Two free registrations to the September Onesie Run
• Photo session courtesy of Mark Blideau Professional Imaging and Glam & Beyond (30 minute photo session including professional hair and makeup, one fully re-touched image provided)

Have you heard of ATB BoostR? It’s ATB Financial’s crowdfunding platform for Alberta entrepreneurs. In addition to providing an online platform to raise money, test ideas and get exposure, ATB also holds live pitch events called the BoostR Stage – think Dragon’s Den meets American Idol. We’re excited to share that ATB will be holding a live pitch event, exclusively for entrepreneurs in the health, fitness and wellness space at the Expo itself! The event will take place on Saturday May 13th from 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm inside the Big Four. If you’re interested in pitching your business to 1,000 Calgarians – media and potential customers, investors and partners – then you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity! To learn more about ATB BoostR, watch this short 1-minute video: https://youtu.be/GlFBNiDKb0Q

Interested in pitching on the BoostR Stage May 13th? Here are your next steps:

1. Attend the March 16th BoostR Stage event in Calgary
There’s no better way to understand how big of an opportunity the BoostR Stage on May 13th could be for you than to attend an actual upcoming event. ATB has offered 50% off tickets to our YYCfit community for their next event on March 16th in Calgary. To get tickets, simply:
1. Visit: https://boostrstageyyc.eventbrite.com/?aff=ATBBoostRTEAM
2. Click “Tickets”, select “Enter promotional code” and enter code: YYCfitfriends

2. Attend a free “Intro to Crowdfunding” webinar on March 23
Come learn how crowdfunding can help entrepreneurs raise money for their business, gain marketing, exposure and build a customer base. Register for this free event here.

3. Apply to ATB BoostR – it only takes 10 minutes and no strings attached!
Visit www.atbboostr.ca and click on APPLY. Take 10 minutes to fill-out information on who you are, what your business does and why you want to crowdfund. Someone from ATB BoostR will contact you within 24 hours of receiving your application to explain next steps.

YYCfit Expo has partnered with Canadian Blood Services to raise awareness for the need for blood donation. Canadian Blood Services will be onsite at the expo offering free blood typing to anyone 17 years of age or older and will be booking blood donation appointments for their upcoming Calgary and area blood donor clinics.

Find Out Your Blood Type in Minutes:

Canadian Blood Services hosts community-based blood typing events across the country in every province except Quebec. It’s a way of helping raise awareness and recruit new blood donors, ensuring there is always enough blood for patients who need it.

How is my blood type determined?
We prick your finger and take a few drops of blood, mixing them with something called antisera to determine your blood type.

How much does it cost to determine my blood type – and how long does it take?
It’s free — and takes about two minutes.

How old do you have to be to find out your blood type?
You need to be at least 17 to participate in a typing event.

Meditation. Mindfulness. The buzz words of the year that you have likely heard floating around. But what exactly is it, and how do you fit it into your life?

Everyone these days seems to have a busy life, rushing from appointment to appointment, with a never ending to-do list. However, we will let you in on the first secret of meditation – once you begin, it truly feels like you have more time in a day. Perhaps it’s the fact that your brain begins to more clearly focus on tasks, and determine what is of actual importance. Or that you are beginning to feel that a new calmness sets in, permeating into all aspects of your life.

Boss being a jerk at work – meditation makes it easier to stay grounded and reply rationally. Spouse being difficult to get along with? Meditation increases levels of empathy, strengthening relationships of all types. Looking for more shut eye? Meditation can help you fall asleep faster, and increase the quality of your sleep. Other reasons to find a cushion and sit still for at least 10 minutes a day?

Calling all wannabe models! Be part of a LIVE fashion shoot with IMPACT Magazine at YYCfit Expo!

IMPACT will be onsite at YYCfit conducting a live photo shoot, with the photos due to appear in their Summer 2017 issue, and is looking for models to take part in the fun. Interested in experiencing the thrill and energy of a live photo shoot? If so, please forward your information and photo to Elaine Kupser at elaine@impactmagazine.ca.

IMPACT Magazine just celebrated it’s 25th anniversary in 2016, and has a distribution of 90,000 across Canada. YYCfit is thrilled to be partnering with this go-to guide for Canada’s health and fitness-minded, and can’t wait to set the photo shoot live and in action at the show!

You know him from Bachelorette season 12, and Bachelor in Paradise season 3: Vancouver-based personal trainer and model Daniel Maguire will be joining us at YYCfit on Sunday, May 14. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see Daniel on the seminar stage, ask this Bachelorette fan favorite your burning questions, snap a selfie with him, and even potentially win a Mothers Day Brunch date!

Daniel Maguire grew up in Penticton, British Colombia. He graduated from high school in 2003, where he was an all-star athlete. He graduated from Thompson Rivers University with his Bachelors of Arts Degree, with a major in psychology. Daniel is a certified personal trainer with British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association. He has worked for gyms, and also has trained clients privately, while attending university. On his second last year of university, he studied abroad in Australia, which was the start of his overseas travels.

Sadly, in 2008, Daniel’s father was involved in a mountain biking accident, which left him quadriplegic. Following this, Daniel spent four summers tending to his father, and the family home. In 2013, Daniel was hit by a car while on his motorcycle – the accident nearly killed him. Both of these pivotal events have played a major role in influencing Daniel’s views on life and shaping him as an individual.

A huge travel buff, Daniel has traveled to every continent except Antarctica. He has backpacked India, South East Asia, South America, Central America and Africa. Daniel has also lived in Milan, Munich, Istanbul and Los Angeles.

As a personal trainer, Daniel believes in balance and consistency. He will be sharing his views on healthy and active living and sharing tips to help you reach your goals.